Thursday, December 6, 2018

My husband pointed out to me that maybe I should leave a little note here that I am continuing to write every week but am now only updating at Medium.com. You will still find my archives here but our technology doesn't seem compatible with Blogspot and it was creating some janky, garbled posts. It is just a much cleaner and more modern look over at Medium. So please come check out my posts on Medium when you get the chance as I am updating there at least once a week.

Friday, September 21, 2018

There is a certain kind of social media share I'm thinking about.
It’s often a blurry picture of people in hair nets and blood splattered clothing. Or maybe it’s an image of an animal hanging from a pole, tree, or kill line, people standing around him menacingly or indifferently. Animals in wire cages, panting and desperately pacing, or lethargic. Buckets of blood; steam rising from a grisly kill floor. If it’s a video, it will be traumatizing. If it’s an article, it’ll be demoralizing. Sometimes, it’ll just be an image, not shared with much - or any - text or context. And of these particular kinds of social media shares, the overarching takeaway is that humanity is the absolute worst.

We’re living in stressful and difficult times, to put it mildly. With so much happening in the world, from the dizzying and cruel chaos of the Trump administration to the steady drip of anxiety about the future of the planet, every day we’re exposed to fresh trauma, be it a threat to us or those we care about, or sympathetic traumas, the kind we experience because we’re sensitive beings. All of this chips away at our resilience and works to erode our spirit. This content is not isolated to violence against other animals: every day on social media, we are exposed to starving or scared children; bloody, broken limbs crushed under rubble; devastated, tear-streaked faces facing unfathomable loss. It’s not that there’s more suffering in the world now; it’s that our exposure to it is ramped way up now. This leads to a conundrum I’ve tried to grapple with since I first became an activist, way before social media. How does one pull back the curtains on cruelties hidden from public view without activating someone else’s coping mechanism of numbing out, anger at the messenger, or, even worse, feelings of hopelessness and despair. How do we walk that fine line of opening eyes without closing hearts? I don’t know if there are definitive answers on this but I will say that we face this with Vegan Street, where part of our mission is to shine a light on what happens behind closed doors. We also spend a lot of time focusing on really positive and inspiring stories, but there is no doubt that there is a lot of fodder for disheartenment, too. So what do we do?I believe that it’s a shirking of responsibility to not share with the public the suffering and cruelty that are so often obscured from view but, as social change agents, I think we have an equal responsibility to not add to the collective despair in a careless or reckless way. Many people who will see the content you share are already hanging on to their sense of hope and willingness to engage by the skin of their teeth. Should our point be that humanity sucks? Or should our point be to try to get people to care enough to do something about reducing suffering and increasing compassion in the world? I think it’s the latter. Towards this end, I have three ideas. • If you are going to share graphic photos and videos, do so with text and context. Even a sentence or two can mean the difference for someone who might otherwise scroll past.• If you can, choose photos that are not so grisly that people look away or resent the messenger. This doesn’t mean Vegan Street shies away from exposing the violence other animals live with but that we can find images that still communicate the cruelty but are maybe not so graphic as to make people shut down. • If at all possible, include helpful action items with your disturbing content. As pointless as they often are, even a petition gives people a sense that they are “doing something,” but better are links that are actually helpful, like links to fundraising pages, people to call or email or vegan starter kits or anything else relevant to your post that could be considered an action item. These days, whenever I post upsetting content with regard to animal agribusiness, I also include a link to our free Guide for New Vegans. I’d recommend that before you share disturbing content, you ask yourself what your goal is. Is it to shame or to educate, to indict or to illuminate? Do you want to add to the collective despair or do you want to empower to take compassionate action? Of course, you are not responsible for how someone reacts to the content you share - I have certainly had people interpret things in a different way than I intended - but if you share your posts with the overarching goal of wanting to build a more kind and just world, my guess is they will be better received and create the most positive influence for the animals.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

I never thought I’d say the following five words, but I am saying them now: I can’t wait until winter.

That’s right. Gross, cold, dreary, depressing winter, which I can’t wait to face winter with my new Save the Duckcoat and show it who’s boss in style! Soft, lightweight but made with high-definition nylon and the most luxe, dreamy collar that lifts up against Chicago’s strongest winds, I feel truly prepared this winter.

Best of all, Italy-based Save the Duck doesn’t use cruelly-obtained down feathers or any other animal parts in their coat lines: all is entirely, proudly vegan and also committed to sustainability! Oh, I am so excited. This coat is the Iris from their new collection. You must check out these gorgeous coats - these are not your mother’s puffy coats - and this conscientious company!

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

I
am so excited to be featuring the radiant and exuberant Diane Randall as this week’s Vegan Rock Star. Diane has a
great podcast, Balanced Living for Busy Professionals (subscribe and find the
archives here), and stays active as a consultant and speaker who helps clients
with everything from healthy living and achieving goals to finding balance in a
busy life. We are lucky to have someone as passionate and welcoming as Diane
working to build a kinder, healthier world.

1. First of all, we’d love to hear your “vegan evolution” story. How did you
start out? Did you have any early influences or experiences as a young person
that in retrospect helped to pave your path?

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where my experience with animals was visiting
the local zoo and an occasional farm visit. I rarely interacted with animals
outside of dogs, cats, fish and other domesticated animals as a young child. I
remember an experience as a 9-year-old child visiting my great-grandparents at
their farm in Mississippi. I was running around the yard playing with the chickens
and a horse. I remember my great-grandfather walking over to the yard where I was
playing with the chickens, picked one up by the legs and walked over to a
chopping block, laid the chicken’s head on it and cut it head off.I watched in terror as this chicken ran
headless around the yard before it finally fell down. The chicken was served
for dinner. I remember crying uncontrollably and I was not being able to eat
for a couple of days because I was traumatized by the experience. This was the
first time that I correlated animal consumption and food. This experience
influenced my questioning of eating animals for many years to come, but was
always over-shadowed by societal conditioning and messaging of animals being a
part of the food chain.

2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again:
how could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you
that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you
moving toward veganism?

As I think about my pre-vegan days, if I had more of a one-on-one connection
with farm animals when I was young, maybe visit sanctuaries where I could
experience feeding, petting and nurturing them and reading books, this
experience could have expanded my mindset as it relates to non-domesticated
animals and would have given me another perspective and consciousness aside
from “seeing’ them as a food source. These are all the things I model for my
grandson, Miles.

3. What have you found to be the most
effective way to communicate your message as a vegan? For example, humor,
passion, images, etc.?

As a whole living consultant, my most effective way is through compassion, humor,
education and modeling the behavior that I want to see in others as a vegan. I
created my own podcast show called Balanced Living for Busy Professionals where I have interviewed leading experts
around the world and I’ve done solo episodes to effectively share information
on vegan and plant-based topics, providing value tips for listeners on how to
get started eating plant-based foods and bring more balance to the lives of
busy people for the past three years. I also teach healthy eating workshops at
a local college in the western suburbs where I educate participants on eating
more plant-based foods for optimal health and balance, for the animals and for
the planet. I want people to know that
my vegan journey continues to unfold every day. I continue to grow and learn
without putting pressure on myself or others to be one way or another. I am
following my heart, advocating and being of service to others who are
interested in learning more and improving their lives.

4. What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan
movement?

It’s an “all hands on deck” moment in society for all. Too many people are
dying and living with treatable diseases and conditions from eating unhealthy
foods. The strength of the movement is raising consciousness, telling hard
truths, opening hearts and improving the health for many people.The movement is literally saving peoples’
lives by educating and sharing information that supports them in making better
choices and living healthier lives.

5. What do you think are our biggest
hindrances to getting the word out effectively?
I feel and witness so much judgement and mean-spirited people in the vegan community,
along with “in your face” right fighters who are so passionate about being
vegan and uncompassionate about everyone else who is not. In my opinion this behavior
hinders or gets in the way of the messages conveyed and effectively received. I
feel that more patience, compassion and empathy is needed as we advocate, and
communicate our message more effectively where people “hear” us and receive the
message in a positive way.

6. All of us need a “why vegan” elevator pitch. We’d love to hear
yours.

People always ask me why I became a vegan and how do I maintain the meat-free,
plant-based lifestyle. I tell people, I don’t eat food that have a face, a
mother and is not grown in the ground. I share my vegan evolution of more than
12 years ago starting for health reasons to stave off chronic health
conditions. Along the way I became more conscious, my heart opened up and I “saw”
and connected with the animals. Because of this I experience I feel a deep soul
connectedness and love, It’s the same love, compassion and empathy I experience
with humans; I see them; they love, they grieve, they play, they hurt just like
me. I cannot imagine eating another animal and continue to evolve my vegan
footprint.

7. Who are the people and what are the books,
films, websites and organizations that have had the greatest influence on your
veganism and your continuing evolution?

8. Burn-out is so common among vegans:
what do you do to unwind, recharge and inspire yourself?

I am inspired and passionate about sharing and helping people for the
highest good. My approach is always from a place of modeling and educating what
it means to be vegan; I work on reflecting in myself what I want to see in
others as they navigate their own vegan journey. Lots of patience, compassion
and empathy is needed when educating people that are willing and open to
changing their minds hearts to a healthy new way of eating and being on the planet.

9.
What is the issue nearest and dearest to your heart that you would like others
to know more about?

So many sick people in the world who are not aware that they can heal
themselves. My intention is to raise their awareness when it comes to the food
chain.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Something we didn’t have when I
was expecting my son back in 2002 is the abundance of resources about vegan pregnancy and
parenting we have today. The resources we had then – a few books, a few paragraphs
from Dr. Spock on the safety of an animal-free diet for children – were helpful
but nothing on the level of what prospective (and current) parents who are
raising vegan children have today. One of the most exciting developments is the
new website, Vegan
Pregnancy and Parenting, and their
great magazine, Raise Vegan. Between that and their growing social media presence, it’s not such a steep (and lonely) learning curve to be a vegan
parent anymore.

One of the reasons Raise Vegan is on the
radar like it is must be due to their great promotional savvy. Renya “Ree” Tomasek,
based in Temecula Valley, CA and mother
of a 1-year-old, is their PR person and I am honored to feature Ree as this
week’s Vegan Rock Star.

1. First of all, we’d love to hear your “vegan evolution” story. How did you
start out? Did you have any early influences or experiences as a young person
that in retrospect helped to pave your path?

Well, I have always been an
animal (and all animal lover) in fact when I was super young I got teased for
caring about a skunk that was hit by our school bus and I just couldn’t
understand why the other kids thought it was funny! I remember looking at them
like they were so insensitive to the loss of life and that always stuck with
me. I had an Aunt that went vegetarian when I was in high school and that
hugely influenced me too think about my diet differently. In my early 20s, I ultimately
started to have some health issues and was recommended to give up meat and when
I did I never felt better, physically and emotionally! Yet the connection to go
vegan didn’t come until I turned 29 and started my org Girls For
Animal Rights and partnering with the
Animal Legal Defense Fund for a project. The Director at the time, Vaughn
Maurice, simply said that “We don’t eat our clients and you should consider
that with the dairy you still consume as it just as harmful if not more so to
animals,” that’s what did it for me, that and the wonderfully delicious vegan
foods I tasted at an event.

2. Imagine that you are pre-vegan again:
how could someone have talked to you and what could they have said or shown you
that could have been the most effective way to have a positive influence on you
moving toward veganism?

Honestly, I still always
do. I have a lot of people I have met either in person or virtually that have
private messaged me to thank me for setting a positive example on how to go and
live vegan. I think they just see my passion about the compassion aspect of it
and my delicious food posts and are like, “Hmm this is something that I think I
can try to do!”

3. What have you found to be the most
effective way to communicate your message as a vegan? For example, humor, passion,
images, etc.?

Really my food posts are
what get the most unlikely people on my friend’s lists attention. I have had
people from my past that are big time fisherman ask me to please start posting
the recipes again (when I slack, lol) because they really want to start to try
this “vegan” thing out! But I’m always aware that we all once didn’t make the
connection (unless of course vegan since birth) and hopeful that everyone, if
shown they can and why it’s better, will consider going vegan. I’ll use social
media a lot to get my point across, like the videos that are sad to help people
understand if you had a reaction (any) to this poor pig getting hurt than there
is a reason why and you should look into that! I’m just not pushy in my
approach and want people to see the good in it from my positive and (hopefully)
impactful approach.

4. What do you think are the biggest strengths of the vegan movement?

Health! We are in a time
where we are so much more aware, yet companies look to play that down with their
marketing campaigns to cover up just how unhealthy the world diet has become.
It’s actually quite frightening what is allowed to be processed in our foods
with the majority being the meat and dairy industries. I think that along with
the fact that people are starting to realize we no longer need to harm animals
to survive and thrive are the biggest strengths of the movement.

5. What do you think are our biggest hindrances to getting the
word out effectively?

Our passion! Meaning
sometimes some let that get into the way of us delivering our message. We have
to remember first we are trying to communicate with others that may not be as
emotionally connected to the message (yet) and have to speak to them or about
them in a calm rational way that they can understand. Once they are not
listening then we can hit them with the hard facts and let them make their
decisions, but they will 100% stop listening if you are demeaning or
argumentative off the bat.

6. All of us need a “why vegan” elevator pitch. We’d love to hear yours.

My why is simply: I have
found a way to live my life free of harm to others while flourishing
physically, mentally and emotionally. I have never felt better and am much more
clear headed, I don’t have the fog I once had weighed down by heavy meat and
dairy I was consuming and I’m contributing to a better planet for all. Veganism
is really the ultimate lifestyle if you think about it!

7. Who are the people and what are the books, films, websites and organizations
that have had the greatest influence on your veganism and your continuing
evolution?

Definitely the larger
organizations like the Animal Legal Defense Fund and PETA have were the
greatest influence in the beginning and have been amazing resources still to
this day! Mercy for Animals is what keeps me honest and I love their gentle to
approach to why we should be and stay vegan. But in continuing my evolution it’s
the smaller sanctuaries locally that I volunteer for and rescue networks I’m a
part of. The daily grind of these animal heroes is absolutely incredible and it
takes each one involved to keep things going. The recent sanctuary I am hosting an event for in September is run by a woman who left
her job in corporate marketing when she was left with 15 horses that were all
on death’s door. Literally someone dropped them off at her property and never
came back. She just knew he had to do something, started a sanctuary and other
animals came pouring in.

8. Burn-out is so common among vegans: what do you do to unwind, recharge and
inspire yourself?

To unwind, I take day trips
to vegan restaurants I have never been and make it a whole fun day of exploring
the area! I’m also actively involved in a vegan society and we host monthly meet-ups
and potlucks where we invite new vegans to attend and it’s so inspiring to see
them excited to start their journey just like I was. And of course, now,
visiting animal sanctuaries with my little vegan baby boy is soul-filling!

9. What is the issue nearest and dearest to your heart that you
would like others to know more about?

In May of last year I had
my first son. Being vegan, I of course made the choice to stay vegan throughout
the pregnancy (and ultimately raise him vegan afterwards) and was met with some
positive, but mostly negative remarks, which was very confusing. Some thought
that is wasn’t safe to be vegan and raise a baby vegan and some vegan
acquaintances offered unwarranted opinions on my choice to even bring another
little being on the planet the way it currently is. So I sought for a resource
and support system that saw the same beauty in a vegan pregnancy and thanked my
lucky stars to find the online group Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting started by a
strong lady, Janet Kearny, with global parents sharing their pregnancies and
raising their kids vegan. I loved their mission so much so that in November of
last year, I joined the team to help with the world’s first ever Vegan Parenting Magazine they were producing called Raise Vegan which offered digitally and now with our first published issue in
May, we have had support from Alicia Silverstone and most recently the newly
pregnant Kat Von D.

10. Please finish this sentence: “To me, being vegan is...”

The only way we need to be to
survive and thrive. I truly believe it is the needed next step in our human
evolution and the way we are meant to be. Once the world makes the connection
we will not only save the planet and e pthe animals that reside on it, we will
become a more impactful and happy species ourselves. It’s a bit of altruism, but
I do believe someday we can get there!